Production of substantially full-diet beef cattle feed through processing of the rumen content of slaughtered cattle

ABSTRACT

The process consists of making available the full contents of the rumen or paunch of commercially slaughtered cattle without any dilution or addition of substances thereto. Said contents per se are subjected to mechanical separation to remove up to 90% of the watery and liquid contents therefrom. The premium, relatively solid material left is in the form of clumps of matted fibers having other solids and semi-solids adhering thereto, such as cogulants, emulsions, and fat globules. Said matted and solid fraction is chopped or otherwise subdivided, rendering the separated particles more susceptible to the next vital step of flash-drying. Flash-drying of said fibrous, premium fraction is preferably carried out by a combined heating and conveying medium which applies a blast of high temperature air upon and through the divided fibrous fragments and particles while they are tumbled and dispersed. Such products contain protein (by weight) in a range from 10 to 12%; fats in range from 3.3 to 3.8% and carbohydrates in a range from 70 to 80%. The extent and intensity of flash-drying may be varied to produce products varying in moisture content from 2 to 60% by weight.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 370,459, filed June 15, 1973,now U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,640, which was a continuation-in-part of Ser.No. 12,080, now abandoned which was a continuation-in-part of Ser. No.667,324, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,977.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Explanation of Terms

The terms "paunch content" and "rumen content" herein both refer to thetotal material within the first stomach (and this is also known as the"paunch" or "the rumen") of cattle. This paunch or rumen contentconsists of partially digested feed materials, natural or prepared,recently eaten by the animal before slaughter, together with digestivejuices and millions of bacteria, most of which normally live in therumen and perform an essential role in the digestive process of cattle.The average amount of this material contained in the paunch of saidslaughtered cattle weighs approximately 57 pounds and measures between 7and 8 gallons.

Serious Problems Foreshadowing the Invention

(A) In the Packing Industry:

Since the packing industry's conception, approximately 75 years ago, thepaunch content of slaughtered animals has routinely been flushed downthe sewer. Because of the consistency of such material, additional largeamounts of water were required in the flushing process and, therefore,added to the volume of the total sewage.

The economic status of the packing industry at present requires acareful reevaluation of production costs in order to maintain ajustified margin of profit. Water costs as well as sewage costsconstitute an important percentage in these production expenses. Thecost for sewage services is based on the volume of sewage as well as theBiological Oxygen Demand of the sewage material. The Biological OxygenDemand, hereinafter referred to as "B.O.D." signifies the amount ofoxygen that a specific amount of sewage will use in a 5 day period andis measured in parts per million (ppm). By way of simple explanationusing a hypothetical example, let us suppose that we have one millionpounds of sewage which in a 5 day period consumed 100 pounds of oxygenin the normal process of degeneration. The B.O.D. of the sewage wouldthen be 100. The B.O.D. of paunch material is extremely high bycomparison with normal sewage. This further complicates the problemswith which packing plants are today confronted.

(b) In Sewage Disposal Plants:

The sewage disposal plants in our larger cities where packing industriesare located are generally overburdened. Current national and stateprograms of Water Pollution Control have clearly demonstrated the needfor the development of more efficient sewage treatment methods and,wherever possible, the diminution of industrial waste entering thesewage systems.

By its very nature the paunch material entering sewage systems posesspecial problems since the solid portions of such material are extremelydifficult to decompose in sewage treatment plants and produce a largevolume of residue or sludge, which cannot be disposed of by means ofdispersal into waterways, but must be removed from the decomposingchambers and is usually stockpiled in the form of solid refuse.Therefore, the volume as well as the "indigestibility" of the rumenmaterial significantly adds to the already existing problems of city andtown sewage disposal.

The magnitude and serious economical effects of the herein relatedsewage disposal problems affecting our national economy can be welldemonstrated and calculated by the following statistical facts:

The records of the two major packing plants operating in the city ofSouth Saint Paul, Minnesota, have been made available to me for severalyears relative to cattle slaughter, quantities of said paunch materialsand means of disposal of the same. Furthermore, in a period of over ayear, I have been supplied with whatever quantities of said paunchmaterials I needed, up to their total supply if desired, for my researchand study. The following table shows the extent of the sewage disposaland waste problem as related to the said two major packing plans inSouth Saint Paul:

Average number of cattle slaughtered per day--2,200

Average daily volume of paunch material--15,500 gal.

Average daily weight paunch material--125,000 lbs. or 62.5 ton

Average B.O.D. of normal paunch contents--25,000 ptm.

Average daily B.O.D. of paunch material-oxygen--2,640 lbs.

The two major packers in the South Saint Paul area, slaughterapproximately 484,000 cattle per year, which constitutes about 1 2/10thspercent of the total commercial slaughter of cattle in the United States(amounting to 40,936,000 head in 1965). Thus, the yearly weight ofpaunch material constituting, at present, waste and sewage for theentire United States, can be approximately calculated by multiplying62.5 tons by the number of packing plant working days in a year and thenmultiplying by 831/3 (100/1.2), equaling about 1,850,000 tons.

Attempts at solving the said problems have been made in recent years bythe packing industry, with suggestions from the sewage disposalindustry. The results have been as follows:

The general procedure has been to blast the total paunch contents at thepacking plant with high velocity streams of water, thereby dissolvingsoluble materials clinging to or adhered to coagulants or other stickysubstances of the solid fibrous globules and matted material. Theflushing water and liquids are then drained crudely from the remainingsolid materials and flushed down the sewage system. The solids areconveyed out of the packing plant into a stockpile where attempts havebeen made to cause farmers to utilize the same as fertilizer, plantfoods and solid fill. Such procedure, after heavy expenditure for theflushing water, still left the packing industry with the responsibilityof the more difficult disposal of the separated solids. My exhaustivestudies have demonstrated that the B.O.D. (as determined by the standard5 day method) of the liquid portion of the paunch material alone, veryclosely approximated that of the total content, the reason being thatthe solid portion of the rumen material is extremely "undigestible",using little oxygen in a 5 day period while the digestible portion ofthe liquids of the rumen is decomposed very quickly, but utilizes allnecessary oxygen.

My studies have brought to light that as a matter of economic importanceto the packing industry, the B.O.D. level is not substantially loweredby the separation of solids from liquids in the paunch or rumenmaterials. It can therefore be logically concluded that the liquids, aswell as the solids, must be diverted from the sewage system to solve theserious problems herein referred to.

My Experience and Knowledge Foreshadowing the Invention

From my early youth up and to the present time, I have activelyparticipated in the raising and conditioning of high grade beef cattlefor slaughter purposes. For the past eighteen years I have bred andpurchased calves (feeders) and established a rather distinctive line ofcattle herd at my ranch at Jordan, Minnesota. Through the efforts ofmyself and my employees I have conditioned such beef cattle and soldthem for slaughter purposes. Such work and experience has caused me tobe familiar with and to have used most of the commercially successfulbeef-cattle feeds as well as the feeds and beef-feeding programsrecommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is well known thatthe Department of Agriculture recommends for beef-cattle feeding naturalcereal grains, alfalfa, silage, pellets and other ingredients whereinthe overall diet supplied contains a protein content of between 10 and12%, a fat content in the range of 3.5 to 4% and carbohydrate content inthe neighborhood of 70% (all by weight).

I am a medical doctor and have been constantly engaged in the generalpractice of medicine since my admission to practice with the exceptionof a two-year period where my entire time was devoted to the developing,testing and reduction to practice of the invention herein. In my earlierpractice for a period of about two years, I was company doctor for theArmour Packing Company at its plant located at South St. Paul,Minnesota. While so employed I became thoroughly conversant with allslaughtering, inspection and conditioning processes practiced there, aswell as with the serious sewage and disposal problems associatedparticularly with the intestines, stomach contents and other waste andsludge materials constituting offal in the slaughtering processes. Theonly disposal of such offal of which I had knowledge during myemployment by Armour's other than by oxidation and sewage methods,constituted in some cases the piling up of such waste material forhauling and use by farmers as a fertilizer.

My medical knowledge and my said experiences, together with intimateknowledge of the anatomy and pathology of slaughter animals, convincedme that substantial nutritive substances including proteins, vitamins,fats, carbohydrates and minerals were present and should be madeavailable from the contents of the stomachs of slaughter cattle, whichprior to my discoveries were treated only as waste or offal. Therefore Ideveloped a keen and motivating interest in learning all I couldrelative to the bacteriology, chemical evaluation and analysis andconversions of the so-called waste materials of the several stomachs andintestines of slaughter animals, particularly beef cattle. To this end,I consulted with authorities in the field of cattle diet in theDepartment of Animal Husbandry at the University of Minnesota, includingmany conversations with Dr. Lester Hansen, at that time Chief of AnimalHusbandry at said University.

A review of all of the articles, text books and other knowledge at handat said University, showed that while some attempts to feed contents ofthe alimentary tract to swine had been attempted in World War 2 inHolland; and while manure from slaughter animals sometimes added tocontents of cattle stomachs, had been dried through sustained heatingprocesses, there was no shred of evidence that rumen contents of beefcattle per se had ever been successfully processed to provide nutritivebeef cattle feed ingredients (much less a substantially complete dietarycattle feed) having any potency or commercial significance.

Following my digest of knowledge obtained from the Animal HusbandryDepartment at the University of Minnesota I personally conducted testsand experiments in the areas of dietary evaluation, bacteriology andconversions of the contents of the upper three stomachs of slaughteredcattle and determined that the contents per se of the rumen or paunchsupplied by far the greatest opportunity for recovery and conversion ofdesired nutritive substances for beef-cattle feed.

In such experiments I dehydrated by sustained, continuous drying, thecontents individually of the upper three stomachs of slaughtered cattle,as well as a mixture of the aggregate contents of the several stomachsof slaughtered cattle. These dry products were analyzed and in someinstances I fed them to cattle but the protein and desirable fat contentproduced in all of said tests were insignificant and absolutely failedto solve the problem. Sustained drying of the entire rumen contents perse afforded better results than those obtained from any of my other saidexperiments but in the best example and analysis of dried contents theproduct contained only 3.% protein and less than 1/2% dietary fat byweight.

Patent Office Prior Art

In the prosecution of my co-pending application, Ser. No. 12,080 ofwhich this application is a continuation-in-part, the Patent OfficeExaminers cited several prior patents and one published magazine articlewhich in applicant's judgment failed to anticipate or otherwise makeunpatentable the substance and heart of my invention disclosed herein.Identification and brief explanation of the scope of said several piecesof prior art follow, to wit:

Berry U.S. Pat. No. 1,228,175, Issued 5-29-17

This patent describes, for alleged use as a stock feed, "the stomachcontents of farm stock such, for instance, as cattle, sheep andhogs * * * whereby to not only realize profit from such by-product ofstock, but also to obtain a feed which is nutritious and of greatervalue for stock feeding than natural foods, by reason of the presencetherein of the gastric and other digestive juices of the stomach."Preferably the stomach contents of cattle and hogs are mixed togetherand the mixture is subjected to a sterilizing and drying treatment.Alternately the stomach contents of the two animals may be separatelydried and sterilized and then thoroughly mixed. After the dryingtreatment salt and chopped hay is added to the dried stomach contentmixture. Preferably brown sugar at the ratio of 5% is added in addition.

While the patent, lines 54 to 55 state "in some cases the contents ofone animal alone might be sufficient", there is not the least suggestionin Berry of total and per se contents of the paunch or rumen of cattle,nor any mention of paunch material in the entire specification. Berryclassifies the stomachs of hogs with the several different stomachs ofsheep and cattle; he made no chemical or other analysis of his allegedfinal product; nor does he recite any feeding tests. His processconsists in the one step of sustained drying by heat of the entirecontents, all stomachs of one animal or the admixed stomach ingredientsof hogs, cattle and sheep without any intervening step of before-heatdrying, removing the watery or liquid portions of the contents.Obviously he never discovered the formulation of potent or commerciallysignificant cattle feeds which required removal of by far the largerliquid portion of the contents by weight and the thereafter quick andflash-drying of the fibrous or relatively solid portions of theingredients of rumen per se as discovered by applicant.

An article published in November, 1944 by John C. Hammond appearing in"Poultry Science," Vol. 23, pp 471-476 for the sole purpose of providinga partial substitute for alfalfa leaf meal in poultry feeds, firstdiscloses that addition of dried cow manure to a diet deficient inriboflavin improved growth in chickens and was not detrimental whenadded to a complete diet. Feeding tests of the mixture of feedstuffscontaining a small amount of cattle manure were recited and showed goodresults. Later in the article rumen content was substituted for themanure and was dried by sustained drying in a period of 24 hours in alarge electric drying oven. The dried rumen and manure products wereadded to conventional poultry feed substances which included peanutmeal, corn gluten meal, or soybean meal or corn oil meal, to an extentof at least 23% of the mixture with 50% dried distiller's solubles,wheat bran, ground limestone and vitamins A and B. Hammond discovered nodistinction in nutritive properties between sustained, dried manure andsustained dried rumen content. He discovered only that the driedproducts of manure and rumen could be beneficially substituted foralfalfa leaf meal as a very minor ingredient of an overall poultry feed.

There is not the slightest suggestion in the Hammond article ofapplicant's discovery that by physically removing the great percentageby weight of the entire rumen contents, then the remaining fibrous andrelatively dried material with adhering coagulants and globules could bevery quickly flash-dried with unexpected containment of high proteincount (up to 12%), valuable vitamins and minerals and riboflavin, and afat content of 3.8%.

Anthony U.S. Pat. No. 3,375,116, Issued 3-26-68

This patent describes a process of recovering feed substances frommanure and water. Anthony first washes the manure with water andseparates out by screen, coarse material. The thinner material issustain-dried and mixed with corn to the amount of 87.5%, salt,phosphate, limestone, and the like. He recites practical use of therecovered product for feeding swine. Certainly this patent does notdisclose any insight on the part of Anthony recognizing as unexpectedand unusual nutritive source the most valuable parts of the whole rumencontent per se of beef cattle after slaughter; nor does Anthony suggestthe first step of utilizing full rumen content, then mechanicallyseparating out most of the watery or liquid substances, and then quickor flash drying the fibrous and relatively solid contents of the rumen.The flash drying in applicant's invention is made possible by mechanicalremoval of over 80% of the liquid contents at the head of the mill orapparatus of applicant's. With flash drying a large percentage amount ofprotein is made possible and no injury to vitamins, mineral content andriboflavin occurs.

Malcolm British Pat. No. 116,318

This patent described use of the stomachs of the ox for pig or poultryfood. Specifically it discloses use of the third stomach or omasum for amixed food for fattening stock. The process describes cutting up thestomachs and their contents and then steam cooking under steam pressurein an exhaust dryer and pulverizer which sustains the drying heatthroughout drying of all the liquid ingredients as well as the fibrousingredients.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The problems as previously recited in this application were solved by mydiscovery and conception of a novel process of treatment and conversionof the entire paunch contents of slaughtered cattle which will bebriefly described here. The overall invention includes the discovery ofa new reconstituted high protein feed for beef cattle which in myextensive experience in feeding my herd successfully comprised up to 80%of the entire full diet requirements for nourishing and fattening beefcattle for slaughter.

Broadly speaking, my process consists in the following combination ofsteps:

First the total contents of the rumen or paunch from commerciallyslaughtered cattle are obtained without dilution or addition of anysubstances. It is essential that the rumen material per se shall not bediluted by water or other additives. Washing of the contents prior to myprocessing proved fatal to success.

Next, the total contents of the rumen are subjected to steps tophysically, without chemical effect, separate the more solid and fibrousmaterials from the liquids. Such step or steps may include compressionof the entire contents, drainage and suction to the end that preferably90% of the liquids present in the natural rumen content are removedleaving clumps of fibrous and other solid materials matted and somewhatdisintegrated and having many important adherent substances such ascoagulants, emulsions and fat globules present. Such sticky surfaces inturn adhere other solid and semisolid ingredients thereto as the firstfraction.

The liquid or second fraction removed is in a semiliquid mass flowableby gravity and in the light of my discoveries and as hereinafter brieflyrecited is processed to constitute a valuable hog feed. The entireprocess, including the treatment and conditioning of the second orliquid fraction, constitutes an important part of my originalapplication Ser. No. 667,324, filed Sept. 7, 1967, and which maturedinto U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,977 on Dec. 8, 1970.

The matted and fibrous fraction is preferably, after its separationand/or during physical separation of liquids, chopped or subdivided toproduce an ultimate smaller particle size and further to render it moresusceptible to the next vital step which constitutes the very fast orflash drying of the relatively solid fraction material.

My previous experiments showed me that any sustained heating of theentire rumen contents destroyed a substantial amount of the naturalprotein content in the rumen and destroyed most of the vitamins presentin the paunch including amino acid and riboflavin. To attain success inthe solution of the problem, preferably about 90% of the total liquidand watery ingredients of the paunch had to be removed before drying ofthe fibrous and solid portions. Drying of the first and most valuablefraction (for beef cattle feed) I discovered could be very rapid andcontinuous. I successfully employed drying apparatus of a preferablyelongate rotary drum-type heating chamber having spiral or staggereddeflectors or vanes on the interior wall which served as conveying meansto move, drop and tumble the then chopped or divided fibrous materialmoving the same rather rapidly toward its discharge end. A source ofheat preferably of the type of a unit heater discharging a very strongblast of high temperature air is employed in communication with theentrance end of the drum rotor blasting with forced draft air at a hightemperature in the direction of the discharge. Thus the divided orchopped fragments of clumps falling and dispersed through the housingare flash-dried in the course of usually less than 8 minutes of traveland to an extent through a control of temperature to sterilize thenutritional substances in semidigested condition, but as I found, withnumerous reductions to practice, such heating is not sustained to theend of losing any of the natural protein ingredients, vitamins orminerals.

After adequate sterilization, heating and drying of the solid fragment,the products are then highly suitable for animal feed containingsterilized nutritional substances in semi-digested condition and readilyassimilable. The primary use of such products (solid fraction) is forbeef feeding. Commercially, it may well be desirable to dry andsterilize the solid substances to a moisture content within a range offrom 20 to 22% after which the material may be readily pelletized andkept in storage and conveniently shipped and sold for feeding of cattle.

It is to be understood that products less dry, even having a moisturecontent of 60 to 65% may be employed quite promptly after production,for bunker and other feeding of cattle and the like.

The liquid fraction obtained from separation of the entire paunchmaterials constitutes a very important and commercially significantnutritive substance for animal feeding. In processing this liquid, myinventions essentially employ the collection in a large holding tank, ofthe liquid ingredients free of solvent, or additive water and the like,to be initially treated with a nutritive flocculating agent which willpartially precipitate the nutritive material from the paunch liquid, andalso reduce the useful volume to about 1/3 of the original. Theconcentrated liquid usually constituting about one third of the lowercontents of the tank, will be pumped into a large volume vat orequivalent sterilizer, lined or provided intermittently with steam coilsor flues for sterilizing the liquid material and killing bacteriatherein. The concentrated liquid, after stirring and heat treatment attemperatures to sterilize, is further treated for diethylstillestrolinactivation, and then in concentrated, processed state with about theconsistency of pea soup, constitutes a rumen liquor which is of highcommercial value and nutrition, as an additive to animal feeds for hogsand other animals and fowl where cereal grain such as corn, oats andother natural food ingredients are employed.

The decanted thinner liquid not utilized or sterilized has commercialvalue in acting as a liquid catalyst in the degeneration of the manurecontent in holding pits and the like for hogs, and is ready for use insuch capacities after withdrawal from the large holding tank.

My invention or inventions comprise also the production of twoimportant, premium animal feed products which, to the best of myknowledge, are new and patentable in the industry as feed compositions,to wit:

1. The solid composition previously described in matted fibrous form(before pelletization) containing the partially digested solid cattlerumen fibers in somewhat matted, chopped state, with globules,coagulants and dried emulsions adhering thereto, having a proteincontent in the range of from 10 to 12%; a fat content of from 3.1 to3.8%, with the entire mass being thoroughly sterilized and heated to theextent of preliminary cooking.

2. A semiliquid or liquor having a consistency approximating that of peasoup and containing globules, emulsions and water-soluble ingredients,and having in all a protein content within a range of from 1.7 to 2.3%;a fat content within a range of from 0.2 to 0.5% by weight (covered bymy U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,977).

Both feed compositions are relatively high in amino acids and bothcompositions have been sterilized and contain no active bacteria orother organisms.

DESCRIPTION OF A SUCCESSFUL EMBODIMENT

In this application the new high nutritive beef cattle feed produced andthe process of treating, conditioning and reconverting the premium solidfraction are those parts of my overall invention to be claimed herein.Ultimate production of a beef cattle feed comprising at least 75% offull dietary requirements, containing in excess of 11% protein, 3.8%fats and requisite carbohydrates and fiber have been continuouslyobtained in actual reduction to practice of the invention.

The drawing constituting a part of this application schematicallyillustrates an embodiment of suitable apparatus which may be utilized,as for large scale production and carrying out of my processes.

As indicated, the entire natural content of the rumens and/or paunchesof slaughtered cattle, liquids and solids, without dilution or additionof water or other solvent, are conveyed or otherwise hauled and dumpedin a large receiving hopper or pit, preferably having bottom suction anddrainage facilities which are preferably connected with the intake of apump. A suitable, foraminous conveyor C-1, having its receiving endpreferably immersed in the contents of the receiving hopper, picks upfibrous and other solid materials from the mass and delivers the same atits outer end to apparatus for chopping up the clumps and compressingthe solid material between squeeze rolls. It will be understood that inconjunction with the receiving end of conveyor C-1, power driven ormanually operated loading mechanisms, such as rakes, forks, etc., may beemployed to expedite reception of the solid material upon the conveyorC-1. It will further be understood that underlying conveyor C-1 has acollection trough T or the like for return of drainage liquor from thesolids during the mass travel over conveyor C-1.

As indicated at the delivery end of conveyor C-1 the semisolid materialsare chopped to break up and disintegrate clumps and thereafter passbetween large compression or squeeze rolls, delivering the fibrous andsolid material from such rolls upon the receiving end of a secondconveyor C-2. This conveyor delivers the fibrous, compressed materialwith many sticky, adhering materials, globules and coagulantslongitudinally (with assistance of an entrance deck D) into a largerevolving drying drum. I have found that drying drums having spiralvanes or spirally staggered flights of dispersion and deflecting bladeson the interior thereof are entirely satisfactory for purposes of myprocess.

The removal of the liquid and watery material from the rumen mass andthe said dividing or chopping of the fibrous relatively solid premiumfraction has preconditioned the said premium fraction for very fast orflash-drying which is requisite to ultimately produce from saidfraction, beef cattle feed having the essential protein, fat, vitaminand other qualities to be commercially potent and significant. The saiddrum must act as a conveyor to receive and discharge the material duringthe flash-drying operation in a short period of time of from 7 to 10minutes, usually within a range of from 7 minutes to 81/2 minutes.

The said drum, having an open receiving end, is subjected throughout theinterior thereof, to forced air heating as by unit heaters which blastair longitudinally therethrough and upon the tumbling and dispersedfibers and particles. The hot air blast-type heater delivers forced airat an initial high temperature of preferably from 2000° to 3000° F. Theactual temperatures acquired by the tumbling and dispersed solid rumenmaterial of course decrease progressively toward the delivery end of thedrum. The drum, in its selected predetermined RPM and considering itsdimensions, will tumble, drop, agitate and convey the solid material asthe same is heated, without producing balling action on the saidmaterial. Samples may be taken and tested for moisture content from theright or delivery end of the drying drum.

I have experimented with and obtained partially dehydrated, sterilizedprocessed rumen solids and extensively fed the same to beef cattle forfinishing, within ranges of several moisture contents. As shown in thedrawing, a fraction is frequently obtained having a moisture contentfrom 60% to 65% which is immediately available for bunker feeding tobeef cattle.

I have also extracted a fraction, indicated as B in the drawings, atabout 40% moisture content. This fraction has good keeping qualitiessince all bacteria has been killed, and may be stored for several weeksand fed to cattle.

A third fraction has frequently been obtained in my tests, indicated as(a), having a moisture content of from 20 to 22% by weight. This solidmaterial may be the most desirable for commercially profitable premiumcattle feeds, and preferably is put through a pelletizer where thecontents are quite permanently preserved for storage, subsequent saleand utilization over a storage period in excess of two years.

Referring back to the liquid contents of the natural paunch ingredients,it will be seen from the drawings that the liquid draining from conveyorC-1 and exuded from the squeeze rolls, is returned by liquid return tothe intake of the pump. The output of the pump is connected with the topof a large tank, preferably of the capacity of about 16,000 gallons. Tothe top of this tank is added a requisite amount of a nutritionalflocculating agent, which essentially constitutes a protein base colloidcomposed of intermediate and high molecular weight polymers. Anexemplary ingredient for the use I desire, is a product commerciallysold as "Swift's PPA" manufactured and sold by Swift & Company ofChicago, Illinois, to its industrial colloid department. This materialhas a pH approximating 6.5, forms a thin jell at temperatures below 80°F., and converts to a fluid when warmed above 80° F. The flocculantmaterials, diluted with warm water, is metered into the tank incontinuous processing in a quantity and proportion of from 2 5/10ths to5 parts per million, by volume.

The precipitates resulting from the foregoing flocculation are ofgreater specific gravity than the thin liquid, and gradually settle tothe bottom of the large tank as indicated on the drawings. The heavierand lower contents of the tank approximating one third of the totalcapacity, is utilized for a premium animal feed concentrate or liquorand, as shown, is passed to the large sterilizing vat which hascircumferentially spaced along at least its lower portion, steam pipesor coils connected with steam at 15 pounds pressure from a steam boilerindicated at the right of the vat. This vat, for commercial production,should have a capacity of at least 6000 gallons. The vat near the lowerportion thereof, is preferably provided with a longitudinal auger andstirrer which works the concentrated sterilized material to a deliverypassage and simultaneously causes agitation and stirring of the entirecontents of the vat. The delivery of the concentrated material, then inthe form of a liquor at about the consistency of pea soup, is properlycontrolled and it will of course be understood that the sterilizing andconcentration of the liquid is continued in the large vat for anadequate time to kill all live bacteria and organisms, and to have acooking action on the ingredients. The discharge flow of theconcentrated liquor from the vat is subjected to a diethylstillestrolinactivation and the liquor then is collected in suitable vats orcontainers and constitutes a premium product of high nutritive value foruse as a concentrate or additive to be admixed with natural animal feedingredients such as cereal grains, corn, oats, etc.

In the diethylstillestrol inactivation, an inert or unabsorbableadherent is metered and introduced into the passage communicating thesterilizing tank of the drawings with the storage for the processedrumen liquor, minimal proportions being used which when such aningredient as mineral oil is employed, would constitute approximately3/10ths part of the ingredient to 100 parts of the rumen liquor.

Before reciting an example of a substantial scale reduction to practiceand tests made in accordance with my invention, and before recitingcertain important feeding tests and knowledge I have obtained, it wouldbe well to point out an unexpected discovery I made contributing to theconception of my invention, relative to the nutritive quality of therumen contents of cattle where the animal has undergone the seriouspre-slaughtering stresses. I have discovered that the nutritive qualityof the rumen content of animals having undergone said pre-slaughteringstresses is definitely increased, both as to quantity and digestabilitywhen compared with the rumen content of a beef animal, alive and livingunder normal conditions.

The pH of the rumen content of normal beef animals is definitely on theacid side, within a range of from 5.6 to 5.5. This fact may bedetermined from authorities on the subject as well as from my ownpersonal tests on living beef animals. To the best of my knowledge,while doing repeated pH checks on the rumen content of cattle shortlyafter slaughter of the animal and where the paunch was opened in theroutine manner of the packing industry, I discovered that the pH hadchanged towards a marked decrease in acidity into one approximatingneutral or even slightly on the alkaline side (within a range of from6.8 to 7.5). My repeated findings of such facts led me to furtherresearch as to the cause and effect thereof. The explanation of theabove factual findings may be summarized in the following manner:

The animal (beef) is normally fed well, shortly before it leaves thefeed lot. Subsequently this animal is sorted, loaded into a truck andtransported to the stockyards. In the stockyards the animal is driventhrough various pens and alleys and finally enters the packing housebuilding where further increasingly stimulating and excitableenvironmental factors tend to aggravate and irritate the animal as itproceeds to the actual slaughtering pen, so that at the moment beforeslaughter the animal is definitely in a high degree of excitation. Theseenvironmental factors stimulate an adrenalin reaction in the animalwhich in turn initiates a chain of reactions that have an end result onthe rumen content.

The presence of the adrenalin causes constriction of the arteriesleading to the rumen, which results in corresponding decrease in bloodflow normally transporting the absorbable nutrients into the physiologyof assimilation. This decreased blood return therefore inhibits or slowsdown the transport of the nutritive elements of the rumen, which undernormal circumstances would be withdrawn from the rumen content in thesame length of time.

The combination of interrelationships of these factors produces thefollowing desirable end results:

1. There is considerably more material within the rumen of theslaughtered animal than would be present as compared to the timeinterval following feeding under normal conditions.

2. The material within the rumen has undergone a much greater degree ofdigestion than would be anticipated because of the increased number ofdigesting bacteria present.

3. The number of bacteria is markedly increased, and these bacteriathemselves are readily absorbed as nutrition by the beef animals.

4. The material is in an unusually high state of digestive breakdown ascompared to normal rumen content because of the delayed absorption ofthe digested material. Consequently, the animal which will subsequentlybe fed this material after the processing thereof will realize a higherdegree of net energy for the purpose of growth and weight gain, becauseof the extensive digestive processes that it had undergone prior to theslaughter of the donor animal.

EXAMPLE

An embodiment of my two-fraction process, as disclosed herein and ascarried out by the embodiment of apparatus schematically illustrated inthe drawings, was made by me with a starting quantity of 2000 pounds ofnatural rumen content obtained from commercially and conventionallyslaughtered cattle, in quantity comprising approximately 250 gallons.This natural rumen material, without addition of water, diluents, or anysolvents, was separated into a raw liquid fraction and a raw solidfraction, generally utilizing the steps of my process illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. This resulted in a raw liquid fraction weighing1500 pounds, and a raw solid fraction weighing approximately 500 pounds.

The raw liquid fraction, which included liquids obtained from thesuction and squeezing of the wetted solid material, was pumped to thetop of the large tank illustrated in the drawings, and a nutritiveflocculating agent added as previously described. Thereafter, thesettled and concentrated portion of the large tank ingredients(approximately 1/3 in volume) were subjected to the sterilizing andconcentrating action in the vat with stirring and agitation.

The processing of the wet solid fraction was carried out substantiallyas diagrammed in the drawings and as heretofore set forth.

The results and analysis of the two premium feed products obtained wereas follows:

    ______________________________________                                        SOLID, FIBROUS PRODUCT                                                                          336 lbs. moisture content                                                     40% by weight)                                              Protein (by weight)                                                                             11%                                                         Fat (by weight)   3.4%                                                        Carbohydrates (") 80%                                                         LIQUID PRODUCT    500 lbs. pea soup consistency                               Protein (by weight)                                                                             1.8%                                                        Fat (")           1.3%                                                        Specific Gravity  1.020%                                                      Solids            6.39% of total weight                                       pH                6.9                                                         ______________________________________                                    

FEEDING TESTS -- SOLID, FIBROUS PRODUCT

Prior to filing my original patent application in September of 1967, Ihad experimentally fed over 450 beef cattle for varying intervals withmy premium solid product disclosed therein. While so doing for varyingperiods of one month and six weeks time intervals I had simultaneouslyfed assorted selection of young cattle with a diet generally accepted bybeef cattle ranchers and as specified, i.e., in a pamphlet, published1963 by the Agricultural Board of the National Academy of Sciences (apart of the National Research Council). My source of raw rumen contentwas obtained gratis (with my payment of handling charges) from two largepacking plants in South St. Paul, Minn., to wit, Swift's and Armour's.Some of said material was obtained in large quantities some months ofthe year 1965. In the years 1966 and 1967 for at least three months ofeach year, adequate rumen material was received from these packinghouses to enable me to feed a total of 500 young beef cattle which Isorted into two herds. In 1967 I started about June to constantly feedmy solid rumen product until my supply was cut off in late August byboth of said packing houses. I supplemented my feeding of my premiumproduct with between 25 and 30% of corn and other high protein additivesand while I did not keep records of what gains on weight were made whichare now available, I am sure that the gains of the 500 cattle duringsaid period which were fed from my rumen product at least equaled theweight gains of some 200 cattle fed with the commercially acceptednutrient ingredients.

My sources of raw rumen content, the Swift and Armour plants, were ableto again supply me with adequate rumen content for feeding the same beefcattle from about the middle of Dec. 1967 until the 16th of Feb. 1968.During this period starting Dec. 9, 1967 until Feb. 26, 1968 I keptweekly records showing the gains in pounds averaging 14 head of saidtest cattle, and from my weekly written reports I prepared graphs whichare attached to an affidavit accompanying this application showing thegains per fourteen head of cattle weekly, from the middle of Dec., 1967to Feb. 23, 1968, a graph being made on those feed products obtainedfrom rumen supplied by Armour and a second graph being made for therumen content supplied by Swift. The product from the Swift rumen wasfed to smaller cattle whose weight for fourteen head averaged 8400 lbs.,at start of feeding Jan. 19, 1968. By Jan. 29, 1968 this selected herdof 150 cattle averaged for 14 head, 9200 lbs., and by Feb. 23rd, 1968,with continuous feeding, averaged 10,800 lbs.

The larger selected herd of 350 cattle fed from my premium productobtained from Armour's rumen content averaged for fourteen head at thestart of feeding Dec. 28, 1967, 10,200 lbs. With continuous feedingthese same cattle for fourteen head, on Jan. 23, 1968, averaged 10,800lbs., and by Feb. 23, 1968, for fourteen head averaged 11,200 lbs. It isto be understood that in the said feeding tests recorded, my solidfibrous fraction disclosed in this application was constantly fed duringthe periods alleged, and constituted from 75 to 80% of the entirenutrient requirements of said beef cattle. The balance of from 20 to 25%by weight was made up of commercially accepted, high protein, highcarbohydrate feeds.

In addition to the example and analysis of my premium solid fibrousproduct previously set forth herein, I personally made written recordsof 34 samples of the products which I actually fed to beef cattleexperimentally during the years 1965, 1966 and 1967 and made a summaryin precise proportions by weight in the content thereof. The content ofsaid summary of samples within converted proportions of dry solid stateshowed by weight, protein 12%, fats 3.+%, ash 4% and carbohydrates 81%.

It will be understood that all of the analyses referred to denotingprotein, fat, carbohydrate and ash content are made on the basis ofconversion of the mass product to dry solid state.

FEEDING TESTS - SEMI-LIQUID OR LIQUOR PRODUCT

Prior to filing my original application I carried out carefully feedingtests on small hogs employing an experimental pen of 50 of such hogs andfed the same typical specimens of my liquor or semi-liquid productadding to said basic nutrition each day two feedings of hog feed asapproved by the National Research Council to the extent of 250 gallonseach day. This constituted by total volume of diet about 25%.

These tests on the experimental pen were carried out in comparison withtests of two other pens of 50 hogs each as control animals. One pen ofsaid control was started on finishing feed 2 weeks before theexperimental pen and a second pen of 50 hogs was started one week aheadof the finishing of the experimental pen. Both pens of control hogs werefed the recommended basic finishing feed with supplemental proteinadditives to bring the total protein up to 16% by weight.

Experimental hogs and also the control hogs in said two pens wereconfined and were in a controlled environment. The tests were carried onfor a total five week period on the experimental hogs and on the controlhogs were continued until all reached the requisite market weight (from210 to 225 lbs.).

My tests proved that the experimental pen of 50 hogs reached marketweight 3 weeks earlier than the average hogs of the two pens of thecontrol hogs.

POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MY INVENTIONS

The sewage and waste problem as applied to the many packing plants andslaughter houses of the United States may be to a large extent solved bythe employment of my process through utilization of the total rumencontent of slaughtered cattle.

In addition, through use and processing by slaughter houses theseformerly waste products may be converted and reconstituted to provide avery substantial new source of slaughter animal feeds. The premium solidfinal product having the high protein and edible fat content isexceedingly important to the national economy in that it provides theability to raise substantially more beef cattle with surprising economy.This premium product is high in digestible protein after conversion andreconstitution by my process. It also is high in amino acids, riboflavinand other protein "building blocks."

It is to be noted that the National Research Council through theAgricultural Board recommended combinations of natural corn, othercereals with essential vitamins and minerals which, in total feeding,would have (by solid content measurement) from 10 to 12% protein, andfrom 3 to 4% digestible fats and carbohydrates up to 80 to 85%. Thecomposition of my preferred premium solid product is precisely withinthis range and examples have shown contents near the top of said range.

It will of course be understood that the basic steps of my new processesfor converting total natural rumen content taken from slaughteredcattle, may be carried out by various different pieces of apparatus, andwithin variable measurements of temperature, moisture content andconcentration of the globules, coagulants and solids in suspension ofthe liquid fraction of the rumen, all within the scope of my inventionsas defined and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A nutritive beef cattle feed, furnishing at least 75% of full diet requirements for feeding cattle, comprising a high percentage of amino acids, a total protein content by weight within a range of from 10% to 12%, and a fat content by weight within a range of from 3.1% to 3.8%, said feed having been produced by treating only the rumen content of slaughtered cattle, by removing at least 80% of the liquid and flash drying at a temperature from 2000° F. to 3000° F. for from 7 to 10 minutes.
 2. The beef cattle feed product defined in claim 1 further characterized by:having by weight a carbohydrates content between 70 and 90%, and having a pH value within a range of from 6.8 to 7.5. 